History
by Soulreciever
Summary: Who is the girl in his dreams, why, despite himself, does he wish to learn of her and why shall uncovering her life change his? Post Kyoto. Animeverse. Slash.
1. Mystery

History.

1: Mystery. 

T: Am new to fandom but not to fan fic. net in general, please feel free to give me constructive criticism, etc etc! Feel like I've been typing that sentence a lot recently! Welcome, traveller, to what I hope will be an interesting AU! This 'madness' has been inspired by the total lack of Tsuzuki back story in the series so far and thus contains a lot of my of suppositions. Set post Kyoto so beware the angst and the possible plot spoilers. More anime verse than Manga, though Hisoka is a hybrid of his sullen manga attitude and his cutesier anime nature. There will also be slash, though if you've read any of my back catalogue this should not surprise you. I do not own the wondrous complexity of the series or the characters, the idea is, however, my own!

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She has ruin for hours now in a desperate attempt to catch him, to bring him back before he does something foolish.

"Ototo, where are you? It's only me…please ototo, it's getting cold out…" She has been shouting in this manner for hours and her voice begins, at last, to suffer from the strain of this exertion.

Despite this discomfort, despite the fact that her skin is damp still from an earlier rain storm and the evening air has turned chill enough to fog her breath, she can not yet give up…

Her little brother is, after all, the entirety of her world.

……………………………………………………………………………..

A moment after waking Kurosaki Hisoka is filled with a sense of disorientation that, as with all shows of 'weakness' fill his heart with a bitter self loathing.

Eventually the disorientation, along with the self loathing it has spawned, fades and he is left with one burning question:

'Who was Luka?'

Something in the woman's mannerisms had been familiar to him and yet he could not quite say why.

Nor could he understand how the emotions of someone who had been living in the Meiji era could affect him now.

It was a mystery that he would, under normal circumstances, have let go and yet…

Something about that woman, about her desperate want to have her little brother again at her side, had touched a nerve.

Thus, once he has showered and changed into his 'work clothes' he heads out for the library.

The Gushoshin greet him in their normally cheerful manner and then return to the time consuming task of sorting and cataloguing the most recent arrivals.

He stands watching them for a little while, his retracted nature filling him with a foolish nervousness that suppresses his vocal cords and thus, in turn, suppresses his ability to ask for help.

Eventually he is forced to grit his teeth and, the tension singing through his whole being, he enquires,

"Can you help me find out more about someone?" The brother's give one another a wary look and, the heat of a blush staining his cheeks, he says, "I do not plan on breaching protocol again."

There is a moment of tense silence and then the elder brother enquires,

"What can you tell us about the individual?"

"She lived during the Meiji era, her first name was Luka and she lived somewhere in Tokyo." The elder Gushoshin makes his way over to the computer and, after typing in relevant search parameters, he allows the machine to do its work.

After a moment the thing admits a high pitched beep and the elder Gushoshin says, "Given the vague nature of the information there are several results," before he turns the monitor so that Hisoka might see the display.

He scans the faces until he spots the woman from his 'dream,

"That's her." The elder Gushoshin double clicks on the image and, once the woman's information appears on screen, the creature says,

"Myagi Luka, wife of Dr. Myagi Senichi, the man who's dedicated research into mental illnesses has proven invaluable in the advancement of the treatments given to those suffering from such conditions…hmmm…"

"What?"

"According to the record she died naturally five years ago and yet, if that's the case, she shouldn't be in our records."

"Because the bureau deals with unnatural deaths?"

"Precisely."

"Is it possible that her death held an element of the uncertain to it?"

"Perhaps…give me a moment." The creature types a few lines of shorthand code onto the screen and then presses the enter key.

The machine bursts into life and the small hourglass graphic appears upon the display.

"This shouldn't take a moment." The creature remarks, the words more as a way to fill the silence than as a sooth for Hisoka's impatience.

It takes five minutes for the graphic to disappear, any illation he might have felt at this 'development' squashed as the machine admits another high beep and the words 'PLEASE ENTER PASSWORD' appear in a stark grey text box.

The elder Gushoshin types in five separate passwords before he says,

"It seems that someone is desperate to keep the matter of this woman secret."

"Why?"

"Perhaps that is something you should investigate, I suggest you start your line of enquiry with her son."

"In other words I am going to have to talk to Chief Kanoe…thank you Gushoshin elder."

"You are welcome, Hisoka-san."

………………………………………………………………………….

He is surprised to find Tatsumi sat in Kanoe's chair, the amusement the sectary finds in this surprise washing over him in a subtle enough manner that he knows the emotion is intended as a tease.

"Where is the chief?"

"He has been unexpectedly called away on a confidential matter. He has asked that I act in his stead and thus you may feel content to discuss with me whatever it was you had wanted to talk to him of."

"I wished to ask for permission to visit Tokyo."

"Might I ask why?"

"There is someone there I wish to talk to."

Tatsumi is still curious as to his motives and yet this emotion is all but swamped by that of concern.

"This is something I am pursuing on my own, Tatsumi-san, thus for that reason and because I do not believe I shall be at any risk on this trip, I do not believe that Tsuzuki need be involved."

The wave of relief tells him that he had not only guessed correctly, but that his poor attempt at comfort had been appreciated.

"Technically you are still on medical leave, Kurosaki-san and thus you should not even be sitting here with me. However, I do not believe that you would have requested this 'favour' unless you thought it an important matter. Thus I shall give you a week to find out what you will and then I will expect you to return home."

"I understand, Tatsumi-san and thank you."

………………………………………………………………………….

He spends the short walk to the infirmary concocting a suitable cover story to give his partner in order to explain his absence and also to soothe the other enough that he would not be concerned for Hisoka's welfare.

The necessity for such a lie aggravates him both because he had through to never again directly lie to Tsuzuki and also due to the fact that it was only necessary because the elder Shinigami seemed unable to believe that Hisoka could survive on his own.

This aggravation must show somewhere on his face for, all but the moment he crosses into the infirmary, Tsuzuki is enquiring,

"What is the matter, Hisoka?" He can not respond to the question truthfully, thus he simply turns the focus elsewhere,

"Are you certain that you should be eating in here?" He enquires as he gestures to the chocolate pudding balanced on his partner's chest.

"Watari gave it to me and before you say anything else I made him have the first bite." The childish note in the other's voice is, along with the presence of the dessert, a subtle sign that, outwardly at least, his partner is getting better.

If he were in the mood to push at the restraint the other held about his mind, he was certain that he would feel still the painful myriad of emotions that had been within the other since Kyoto.

Now is not the time for him to dwell on such things, however, and schooling his face into an emotional mask he says,

"I'm going to be away from JuChoOh for a while,"

"Why?" The word is empty of anything other than curiosity, yet Tsuzuki's worry, along with his strong sense of abandonment, is clear despite his attempts to block it."

"Idiot! This has nothing to do with you. I'm doing a few favours for Tatsumi, in order that I can get away from everyone's concerns and also so that I build up my strength a little more."

"Hisoka…" Tsuzuki clearly has want to tell him, yet again, that he should not push himself and yet, almost as though sensing his mood, the other instead enquires, "When will you be back?"

"Next week. Until then you'd better keep off of the sweets and out of mischief."

"Meanie!"

……………………………………………………………………………

After questioning a few of the locals he finds his way to a large, yet homely looking, building that supposedly belongs to Luka's son.

He had woven a convincing tale to explain his need to talk to the other of his mother, one that he was certain would lead him to the answers he was after.

When the owner of the house finally comes to the door Hisoka realises that such questions are unnecessary, but also that he is a little out of his depth.

For stood in the doorway is a man who could easily pass as Tsuzuki's twin.

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T: Not really a cliff hanger given that some of you would have seen this from the first sentence, but it's a dramatic enough point to end the chapter so it stays! All the questions you are most likely asking yourselves will, hopefully, be answered as we go along, but don't be afraid to ask anyway! R+R, I'd like to know what you all think.


	2. Investigation

Investigation.

T: So here we are again! I'm going to resist the urge to prattle on to you about the plot outline for this chapter and, instead, I'm going to warn you that the OC becomes fairly prevalent from this point onwards and that all previous warnings remain! I am not Matasushita-san and thus I can't have created Yami can I?

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The man before him is full of a calm certainty that permeated his whole demeanour and gave Hisoka confidence enough that, when the man enquires, "Can I help you?" he is able to respond,

"I was looking for Myagi Luka." The other smiles and he is filed with the same comforting warmth he feels always about his partner.

"I'm afraid that Kasan passed away five years ago, perhaps I might be of aid?"

"I am afraid not, the matter I wished to discuss was for her ears only."

"We were a very close family and did not keep secrets…"

"My name is Kurosaki Hisoka and I was, until recently, the companion of Tsuzuki Asato." The Man's calm demeanour vanishes at the mention of that name and is replaced, instead, with a mix of shock and curiosity.

"Would you like to come in, Kurosaki-kun?" The formality is a little odd coming from one so akin to his partner and sends a sweet ache through him that he has, for the moment, no wish to dwell upon.

……………………………………………………………………………..

The man's house in decorated with subtly showy objects that add to the general 'upmarket' feel of the building. The intrigue these objects hold keeping his mind focused right until his host offers him a seat.

Once Hisoka is seated the other leans a little forward in his own chair and enquires,

"When did you meet him? How did he seem to you? Did you find mother through his mentioning her name or did you learn of her once he passed away?" The other pushes back the curiosity that has driven this out of character response and, once he has re-established his control he says, "You will have to forgive my intensity, Kurosaki-kun, but I have been raised on tales of that man and even named for his sake."

"I understand, Myagi-san and to answer your questions; Tsuzuki and I met three years ago at work, he seemed over confident and yet at the same time infinitely vulnerable, he never talked to me directly of his past but it was there as a shadow in his eye…"

"You are about to tell me that you did, indeed, learn of Kasan after he passed on and yet that is not the precise truth is it?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that you did not know him while he was alive, that you met long after he had passed on." There has been no indication in the other's emotions that he would make such a statement, thus he is unable to prevent the shock of the words and the momentary numbness that emotion ignites in his mind. "Perhaps we should start again?" The other enquires as he gains his feet and, bowing politely, says, "I am Myagi Asato, seventh head of the Myagi-clan." Rising from the bow he reaches into his trouser pocket and pulls out a small rectangle of paper that clears a little of the mystery,

"You are an Onmyoji." He remarks as he gestures to the perfectly scripted Ofuda clutched in the other's fingers.

"That is correct." He realises then that the intense nature of the other's calm had been intended as a shield for his power and, feeling a little indignant, he enquires,

"You deliberately shielded yourself from me?"

"As you shielded your true nature from me."

"I had no choice!"

"Nor I." The other clearly wishes the subject dropped and all but instantly remarks, "Will you tell your true story now, Kurosaki-kun?" Hisoka takes a moment to consider his response and then, a liar's smile on his face, he recounts to the other a highly edited account of his time with Tsuzuki and of the events that had lead him to this point.

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"Luka-nii, what was tousan like?" The question is a little unexpected and, bending to look her brother in the eye, she enquires,

"What's brought this on Asato?"

"Today when I sat with Kasan she told me that I had tousan's eyes, that because of that my fate would be his fate, my life his life."

"Asato, kasan is not well and she does not always mean the things that she says."

"I know, neesan and I'm sure my life will be different from tousan's…it is just… hearing kasan say those things made me realises that I do not know who tousan was or what sort of a life he lead."

"Tousan was a gentle man who believed in the value of life above all things. He lived strongly, giving all that was in his power to give and taking as little as he could in return. As to his fate…" She trails at that, the words stifled by the hopeful look in the violet eyes before her.

She wishes so desperately to protect the kindness she sees in those eyes, wishes to insure that kindness remains untainted by the demons lurking in the history of their line.

Thus she pulls the child into her arms and, kissing his forehead, she says,

"I have another story to tell you Asato, of only you'll listen."

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"Kurosaki-kun?" The kindness in the other's voice stirs him from his sleep and, a frown crossing his face, he enquires,

"Since when have you used my last name, idiot?" Laughter greets this enquiry and, as a cool hand sets against his forehead, he gains the reply,

"I will gladly address you by your first name, Kurosaki-kun, but I wish to earn the honour for my own sake rather than steal it from my uncle." He feels his skin heating then and, moving as far from the other as possible, he says,

"Forgive me, Myagi-san."

"Kasan told me that I look like my uncle and so I can understand that, semi conscious, you might mistake me for him." The calm in the other's voice eases a little of his embarrassment and, hitching his knees into his stomach, he says,

"It seems that I fell asleep before you could reciprocate with your story."

"Clearly you had need of the rest…" The other trails a moment and, his emotions crumbling into uncertainty, he enquires, "Is everything alright, Kurosaki-kun? Last night I heard you screaming in your sleep and this morning when I came to wake you there were tears in your eyes…"

"My past has not been kind, Myagi-san and often its cruelties haunt my dreams."

"Would you care to discuss it?"

"Not with you, no."

"Then perhaps I should continue from where we left off last night?" He smiles then, the thing clearly intended to mask the hurt he feels due to the rejection.

"You were going to tell me of your mother."

"Her father was a powerful Omnyoji who did much for this town and who was eventually corrupted by the power that he held. Kasan felt always the weight of his 'crimes' while she was growing and yet she did not allow this burden to crush her. Instead she used it to grow strong enough that she could protect her dearest brother from their father's taint and help him to reach his true potential."

"However?"

"There is madness in my family line, Kurosaki-kun, madness that my uncle inherited and that, bit by bit, turned him into a 'stranger'. Kasan tried her hardest to help him…to save him from his father's fate…but…"

"He ran away." The other looks a little startled and, wishing to distract him from the question he thinks to ask, Hisoka enquires, "Did they meet again after that?"

"Apparently they argued that night and kasan left him alone a while in order that they both might cool down. When kasan returned she found him curled in on himself, sobbing apologies and licking at some imaginary object clutched in his hands." The words spark the vivid memory of Tsuzuki clutching Keiko's served head, licking desperately at the blood and, fighting the bile that has risen to his stomach, he enquires,

"He believed that he had killed her, didn't he?"

"No matter how much kasan talked to him or pushed him to look at her, he would not believe otherwise and once his desperation became enough that he fled…" He trails and after a moment of silence says, "Kasan never gave up the hope of finding him, her search leading her to tousan, to the theories he held and to a life she had never thought to lead."

Hisoka does not know how to fill the silence that follows these words, only that he desperately wishes to think on something other than what he has just been told.

"You are empathic, are you not?" The question is so unexpected that he replies to the positive without thought for the consequences of doing as such. "I am sure that many people have cursed your for that ability and that, more often than not, you view it more 'curse' than 'gift'."

"Are you going to tell me that you understand, that growing up as an Omnyoji has meant that you know what it is to be watched always with suspicious eyes?" The anger has been prompted by his confusion and, emotionally raw as he is, he can not quite seem to curb it. Indeed he gains his feet and, rolling up his sleeve, he enquires, "Do you also understand what it feels like to be beaten by your own parents? To be locked away in a cell like some animal and left there to rot? Perhaps you understand also what it is to be raped when you are only thirteen and stricken with a curse that will take three years to kill you? Maybe you understand what it is to finally have the hope that you might, some day, be free of the hurt such experiences have caused and then to learn that the one who has inspired this hope should not, in fact, be a part of your world?"

He knows that he is shaking, knows that the curse is shining so brightly upon his skin that it must look all but fresh to the other and that he has said oh so much more than he had wanted to. Yet, as Myagi-san tales him into a firm embrace, he realises that these things are little more than selfish trivialities, realises that but one thing should concern him at the moment:

How best to confront Tsuzuki with this news.

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T: Hisoka's logic (and my own) is that had Tsuzuki not been responsible for his sister's death he would not have become a Shinigami. This spawned by someone saying, at some point during the manga, something along the lines of 'once you've killed one person you might as well kill another'. I know there are other aspects of Tsuzuki's enrolment into the bureaux that are vaguely adverse to this theory but I'm hoping I'll fill the holes in as we go! Again please feel free to ask questions and I'll see you with the next chapter Sunday.


	3. Persuit

3. Pursuit.

T: The first cliff hanger of the series and I apologise for that fact but it really was the best place to leave things. Warnings remain the same with an addition of a 'WHERE'S THE PLOT GONE?' for this chapter only! I do not own anything you see here apart from Myagi-san but as he's been inspired by Tsuzuki I'm not going to press this fact.

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Tsuzuki scrunches the coloured slip of paper into a tiny ball and, in pure frustration, tosses it across the room.

Tatsumi watches the ball roll across the floor and collide with the ever increasing pile of other such balls before enquiring,

"Perhaps you should distract yourself in another manner, Tsuzuki?"

"Watari confiscated my playing cards yesterday and anyway I've almost got it now!" The other remarks before beginning to fold another square of paper into what, according to Tsuzuki, would eventually be a swan.

Predictably, a moment later one of the delicate folds tares and the scrap is sent to join its brethren.

"I could always bring a few files the next time I come to visit. Imagine how pleased Kurosaki-kun would be to see that you've actually done some work while he was away." At the mention of his partner Tsuzuki's hands still and, a far off look in his eyes, he enquires,

"Is he really doing something for you?" He is uncertain precisely how to respond to that question without either harming Tsuzuki or damaging the strength of the trust that tied the other to his partner.

Unfortunately Tsuzuki draws his own conclusions from his hesitation and, his shoulders slumping, he enquires,

"Did he lie to me out of his own choice or did you ask him to do it in order to protect me?"

"He must have felt that lying about his absence was the only sure way of keeping you here." Tsuzuki contemplates this a moment and, curling further in on himself, he enquires,

"Has he taken another partner on this case?"

"You misunderstand, Tsuzuki, Kurosaki-san has not left on a case but rather in the pursuit of something of a 'personal' nature." Given something positive to focus on Tsuzkuki's posture straitens out and, concern tightening the corners of his eyes, he enquires,

"Do you think that he might be chasing Muraki?"

"He assured me that he was in no immediate danger."

"Which means that he could be searching for him indirectly?"

"It is possible." He knows Tsuzuki well enough that he has only to see the violet of the other's eyes deepen a shade to remark; "I do not think it wise for you to pursue him."

"I can't sit here doing nothing when there is the chance that he might get himself hurt. Also I promised him that we'd beet Muraki together and I've a want to hold to that pledge."

"I shall let you go without fuss, Tsuzuki, but I shall not help you to find him."

"I understand, Tatsumi," the other remarks before smiling brightly and saying, "I'll find my way back to him for sure!" the simple statement full of such a power that it sends a shiver down the secretary's spine.

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He leaves the infirmary his mind full of the sternest lecture Watari could manage and his senses so fogged by pain killers that, though he is unbelievably glad to be 'free' from the place, he can not quite seem to bring a true smile to his lips. This 'predicament' is, he knows, due to the worried glances that fix on him as he passes through the bureaux corridors and the stifled feeling those glances place upon his heart.

He knows, of course, that his attitude to their concern is a little hypocritical considering the number of times that he had forced such unwanted pity on his young partner and yet still he wishes that they could just let him be for a little while...wishes, desperately, that he could go back to fooling them with his smile and his childlike manner.

The fire had burned away all hopes of such a return, had burned away everything that he had used to rely upon to feel strong. Yet when the flames had flickered away he had found a new strength among the ashes of his old life, had found a stable certainty to cling to in a suddenly alien world.

To protect that stability, to protect the new life that he had thought to build from such an anchor point, he was willing to do anything, to give anything. Thankfully, for the moment at least, such sacrifices were not necessary and, forcing a smile onto his face, he makes his way to the library.

The moment that the Elder Gushoshin spots him he is pelted with angry remarks that have, out of pity and concern, been very obviously tempered. He weathers this 'treatment' a great while before enquiring,

"Did Hisoka come here yesterday morning?"

"Yes."

"Might I ask what he discussed with you?"

"I do not think Hisoka-san would wish me to tell you."

"I am worried for him, Gushoshin Elder."

"He's in Tokyo." The first thought that enters his head as that city is mentioned is that Hisoka had, indeed, lied blank faced to Tatsumi and had left the Bureaux with the thought of hunting down and destroying Muraki.

He realises, but a moment after running the thought through to this bleak prediction, that there is another possibility to consider. For Tokyo had, many long years ago, been Tsuzuki's home and it was possible that, upon discovering this fact, Hisoka had chosen to actively pursue his partner's past.

He understands that his constant silence had driven the boy to this point, that Hisoka wishes only to help and yet still he can not quite squash the betrayal that rises at this realisation.

"Did he mention any specific line of enquiry?"

"He went to talk to the son of Myagi Senichi."

"And the location?"

"A moment please." The creature floats over to the computer and after a moment of typing remarks, "You are lucky that Hisoka-san is so efficient, Tsuzuki-san, otherwise I would not be able to give you this." The creature remarks as it writes out the requested address on a scrap of paper.

Once the precious piece of information is secure in his breast pocket he smiles brightly at the creature, the expression given weight for the relief he feels, and says,

"Thank you for trusting me, Gushoshin Elder."

………………………………………………………………………………….

He had visited his home town often before he had become embroiled into the madness that personified Muraki Kazutaka, before the town had become tainted with the essence of that man, thus he was no longer shocked at how large or how modern the place had become. That was not to say that he was not saddened by the changes, by the reminder that the world had moved so very far since he had breathed his last breath, it was more that he had become hardened to the bitter reality of his placement as a Shinigami and had embraced it as a further part of his atonement.

Focusing his mind back onto the task at hand he raises his hand up to the door before him and taps the wood three times.

The door opens, he catches violet eyes and features that mirror his own and then his mind fades into oblivion.

………………………………………………………………………………….

He senses the veritable broil of emotions that define his partner a moment before the knock on the door and yet, despite this warning, he does not manage to reach the door before Myagi-san.

He is, however, in time to catch his partner before he connects with the floor and, once he has adjusted to the weight of the other upon his knees he says,

"It seems the introductions will have to wait." Myagi-san seems to recognise the humour for what it is for, his mouth and his emotions tightening into concern, he enquires,

"Let us get him somewhere a little more comfortable shall we?"

He is grateful to the other for giving him something to concentrate upon other than the panic that is clawing its way through his body and the fact that, no matter how hard he pushes, he can not reach his partner's emotions.

They set the elder Shinigami out in Myagi-san's bed and, once assured that his partner is as comfortable as possible, Hisoka turns to his host and enquires,

"Can you explain what has happened to him, Myagi-san? Why it is that I can no longer feel him and, most importantly, can you help him?"

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T: I've taken anime Tsuzuki put him through the literal catharsis of Kyoto and tried to imagine what would immerge out of the other side. I hope I've done a good job…yes that is me fishing for compliments! R+R. Next chapter Tuesday.


	4. Fear

4. Fear.

T: This is where the fun begins. There is a tiny X/TB crossover in this chapter and Muraki finally makes an appearance, apart from this, however, the warnings remain the same. Nothing here is mine apart Myagi-san but as he's inspired by Tsuzuki I'm not going to push that claim!

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"_Myagi-sensei?"_ _Glancing up from his notes he is met with the gentle blue eyes of his secretary and smiling genially, he enquires, _

"_How can I help, Suri-chan?"_

"_I've someone out with me who is insisting on seeing you. I've tried everything that I can think of to dissuade him, but nothing seems to work." He hears the fear in her voice despite her attempt to hide it and, fixing his smile into something all together more dangerous, he says,_

"_Then show them in, Suri-chan and fetch me an earl grey after words." 'Earl grey' is the clinics code word for security and, her smile strengthening at the sound of those words, Suri-chan bows politely and says,_

"_Of course, Myagi-sensei."_

_His 'guest' appears a moment later and both his professional and spiritual instincts begin to scream at him. He has long since learned to trust the warnings he receives from these instincts and, an illusion of calm intrigue set into his features, he reaches into his desk for his Ofuda._

"_I would not be so hasty if I were you, Myagi-san, I have, after all, faced greater men than you and won."_

"_Who are you and what do you want with me?" He enquires as he sets his hands, palms upwards, onto the desk._

"_My name is Muraki Kazutaka and we have, it seems, a common desire."_

"Myagi-san?" The concern in the boy's voice brings him 'back to himself' and, shaking off the fear the memory has stirred within him, he enquires,

"I fear I did not hear the enquiry, Kurosaki-kun, would you mind repeating it?"

"Can you explain what has happened to him, why it is that I can no longer feel him and, most importantly, if you can help him?"

"He has been presented with a reality that is other than he had believed it and he has retreated deep into the recesses of his mind. Deep enough that your empathic power can no longer reach him unless you actively push…as to helping him…" He lets the sentence trail, uncertain how to continue without offering the boy false hopes or crushing him completely.

"There is a technique you can use, isn't there? One that will allow you to dive into his consciousness and talk him into coming out again." He is about to ask how the boy knows about such complex spells when Muraki's voice enters his head,

"_The boy is well read and thus he shall know things that you would not expect him to."_

"The spell is complex and you'd need an Onmyoji from the Sumeragi clan to even have the hope of breaching through his mental defences without causing him harm."

"Then we get one of the Sumeragi clan to help."

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

"Why don't you suggest an alternative then, because I'm sure as hell not going to let him stay like that."

"Take a breath, Kurosaki-san, you're not going to help anyone." For a long moment he believes the boy wilful enough that he'll avoid the advice and then the other closes his eyes and evens his breathing out.

"Did my uncle teach you that?"

"He believed that meditation would help me re-enforce my mental shields."

"And has it?"

"Among other things." The boy opens his eyes and, the muscles about those organs pinching in concentration, he enquires,

"There is another way to help him, isn't there?"

"Yes. However…"

"There is something about the idea that frightens you, isn't there?"

"_Should you let the boy know of our 'arrangement' then things shall become uncomfortable for you." _

At the recollection of that threat the base instinct of self preservation kicks in and silences his reply before it can be voiced. The boy clearly picks up on some part of this mental process for, an understanding sparking into his eyes, he enquires,

"You have been threatened, haven't you, coerced into saying things that you would not otherwise have, isn't that right?"

"You know already who made those threats to me, don't you?"

"I've a good guess, yes." The curse scribed onto the boy's skin flairs at this admission and the missing pieces of the puzzle clicks into place.

"I will tell you what there is to tell, Kurosaki-kun."

"He will carry out his threat, Myagi-san."

"I would rather die and have staid the true path than live and be forever tainted by his darkness."

There is an admiration clear in the boy's eyes and the ghost of a smile upon his lips. He finds himself all but staining at the enthral beauty that this more relaxed expression gives the boy and, for the briefest of moments, he can almost understand why Muraki had done as he had.

Flushing the boy drops his eyes and, his gaze focusing onto the recumbent form of his partner, he enquires,

"Do you want to get on with the story then?"

"A week ago a dangerous man came to my clinic and, after making it perfectly clear that he was in control of the situation, he introduced himself to me and stated that we held a common interest…"

"_What desire would that be?" He enquires, his gaze intent on Muraki's one visible eye, this focus in the hopes of gaining some insight into the other's character._

"_To find Tsuzuki Asato._"

_He is surprised to hear that name from the lips of a stranger and the other has supposedly expected this surprise for, a dangerous smile lighting his lips, he enquires,_

"_Have you heard of Muraki Shouhei?"_

"_Of course, tousan studied his methods while he was setting up his clinics and always attributed his first successful advancements to the knowledge he gained from Muraki-sensei's work. _

"_Am I to assume that you are related to that great man?"_

"_That is correct."_

"_Then that is how you know of my uncle?"_

"_That man was a patient of my grandfather's and yet that is not how I know him."_

"_Then you have, yourself, met him?"_

"_Correct." There is a prolonged moment of silence and then the other enquires, "Will you not ask when I met him or why I am looking for him now?"_

"_Would you give me a true answer if I asked those questions, Muraki-san or would you tell me what you believe I need to hear in order to help you?"_

"_Your confidence is a powerful tool, Myagi-san, I would recommend that you learn when to use it and when to keep it hidden. Such advice to one side I have want to make a deal with you."_

"_What sort of a 'deal'?"_

"_In a few day's time a young boy will come to see you, I wish you to talk to him and to tell him all that he wishes to hear. I would advise that you watch how you reply to his questions for the boy is well read and thus he shall know things that you would not expect him to."_

"_What shall my talking to the boy achieve?"_

"_There is no need for you to know the answer to that question, Myagi-san. All that you need know is that the boy is coming, that I wish you to keep him with you for as long as possible and that, as payment, you shall, at last, meet your uncle._

"_Should you let the boy know of our 'arrangement' then things shall become uncomfortable for you."_

"…Security arrived to escort him from the building and I have not seen him since."

"Then what is the other way in which we might help Tsuzuki and why do you fear it?"

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T: I had no idea that Muraki was a step ahead, or indeed that he was behind Hisoka's 'dreams', until I wrote this chapter. Once I realised that this was the case a little light bulb went off in my head and the conversation between the evil one and Myagi-san was created. Random authoress tangent out of the way please review and come back Sunday for the next chapter!


	5. Solution

5. Solution.

T: I'm not going to spoil the interesting development of this chapter, though I will warn that there is yet another cliff hanger. Other warnings remain the same and I still own nothing here apart (in part) for Myagi-san and his wonderful neurosis!

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He listens to Myagi-san's tale with an ever increasing sense of anger. It was not surprising to learn that Muraki had been chasing Tsuzuki's history, or that he had used his 'connection' to Hisoka to manipulate his dreams in order that the younger Shinigami might come to see Myagi-san, or indeed that he had known that Tsuzuki would eventually follow on Hisoka's heals.

The purpose behind setting up such a meeting is, however, lost on Hisoka and, once Myagi-san has concluded his tale, he enquires,

"Then what is the other way in which we might help Tsuzuki and why do you fear it?"

"It is possible for you to use your empathic powers to do what I can not and 'dive' into his heart. As to why I fear such a solution…" The other trails and Hisoka is swamped with an emotion he recognises well. He has want to distract himself from that feeling, from the complication it holds, and thus he enquires,

"Do you fear that I would become swamped by Tsuzuki's emotions?"

"Yes."

"That is a risk that only I need contemplate, Myagi-san."

"Then you mean to take up my suggestion, even though doing as such may place you in Muraki's control?"

"We are already firmly in Muraki's control, Myagi-san and my making this choice shall not affect that fact."

The other little likes this statement and, for one terrible moment, Hisoka believes that Myagi-san shall voice the blossoming care in his heart, that the other shall use that emotion to crumble his resolve. Myagi-san seems to think better of such a choice, however and, smiling, he says,

"If you believe this the only way, then allow me to even the odds a little."

"How?"

"By using my magic, however, I shall need you to trust me in order for the spell to take affect." He crouches down then so that their faces are level and, setting a hand upon his shoulder, he enquires, "Do you think that you can give me that trust, Kurosaki-kun?" The touch allows him to feel the other's confidence strongly enough that he could almost believe it his own, the distance this feeling gives him clearly the motive behind the unprompted contact.

After a moment thinking through the matter logically he meets Myagi-san's eyes and, smiling as best he can given the situation, he enquires,

"Do you need anything else from me, Asato-san?"

"No." The other's eyes fall closed then and his breathing evens out into a slow, soothing, rhythm.

He finds, after a moment, that he is breathing in tandem with the other, that as he focuses on the sound of their joined breath, he is loosing his awareness of the world about him, of everything other than that sound. He recalls, faintly, that this is how he had felt as the curse had begun to kill him and then a burning agony wipes away all coherent thought from his mind.

Flinching away from the source of that pain he balls himself into the headboard of the bed and, once he feels again 'himself' he enquires,

"What the hell was that?"

"That was the spell taking hold, I am sorry that I could not warn you that it would be painful, but it was imperative that your mind was completely free of all concerns."

"Will you tell me what the spell does now, or are you going to side step the issue again?"

"I have bound your soul to mine."

"What!"

"You needed a way to 'dive' into my uncle's heart without risk, a connection between your soul and one 'outside' the intense emotions caged within that spaced was as the most logical solution. I was aware of how evasive such a spell would seem to you, especially given your previous experience with such things, however…" The other's hope, intensified as it is by the bond that exists now between them, is all but choking in its intensity and, taking a shaky breath, he says,

"I understand that you did the best you could given the situation, Asato-san and I know that you shall not abuse this connection as Muraki has abused the connection that exists between us…however…" He pauses a moment to better compose himself and then he says, "However, if we are to continue on in this manner I would ask that you learn to shield your emotions, otherwise I'm going to be done in by the very thing that had been intended to help me."

"I shall try my best, Kurosaki-kun." Piece by piece the other's emotional landscape fades from his mind, until all that is left in his head is the vaguest impression of the other's general mood.

"Thank you." He returns, then, to his previous position at Tsuzuki's side and, placing a hand upon his partner's forehead, he enquires,

"So what do I do now, Asato-san?"

"Think about my uncle, Kurosaki-kun, about everything that he is to you and then stretch your empathy out towards him."

He closes his eyes then and begins to build a mental picture of Tsuzuki in his mind.

Confident and yet somehow shy, truthful and yet also a man gifted in the art of deception, trusting and yet suspicious of everyone and everything, passionate and passionless, conflicted and yet united also. These were the base truths of his partner's psyche, the elements that made him who he was, there was, of course, so much more and Hisoka presses for these aspects also.

He pictures his partner's every action from the moment they had met to that one terrible moment in Kyoto where he had truly believed the other lost to him.

Focused on the sweet intoxication of Tsuzuki's scent, his mind full of the image of the other languid within Touda's flames, he stretches his empathy out.

For a moment he meets nothing more than the terrible silence of the void and then the world falls away.

…………………………………………………………………………………

Luka is stood in the kitchen cooking, this activity watched, intently, by the young child who shall grow up to become his partner. This set up is so akin to the other's he had encounter in the 'dreams' Muraki had provided him that it is only when the child registers his presence, and turning to look at him, enquires, "Who are you then?" that he realises that the process had worked and that he is viewing an illusionary world created to protect Tsuzuki from further harm.

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T: All inspiration for the idea of 'diving' into a person's consciousness has come from the wondrous ladies of Clamp…the psycho babble surrounding the idea is completely mine! Next chapter Tuesday, until then why not review and let me know what you think of this chapter/thus far.


	6. Dream

6. Dream.

T: Nothing to say about today's chapter! Warnings remain the same and I own nothing here apart, in part, for Myagi-san.

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"Who are you then?"

"Kurosaki Hisoka."

"Have you come to take me from neesan?"

"No, I only want to talk to you for a moment."

"The other man said that and for a while I believed him…then he told me terrible lies and tried to force me from neesan's side."

"I promise that I shall not take you where you do not want to go." The child considers the words a moment and then, inclining his head back towards his sister, he says,

"I'm going to the garden for a while, neesan."

"I want you back in a half hour, Asato and wash your hands before you come to the table."

"Hai, hai."

The garden is beautifully arranged, each flower and scrub so healthy that they are all but glowing. He wonders, for a moment, which of the pair has put in the time and the care necessary to create such beauty, then Tsuzuki's voice stirs in his memory.

"_I used to love tending to the flowers in the back garden, even when I was a little boy. Watching the plants thriving simply for the care I gave them made me feel like my life had purpose, made me feel better during the dark times."_

He closes his eyes and in the darkness behind his lids he can see Tsuzuki as he had been as he spoke those words, can see the patches of burned skin upon the elder Shinigami's skin and the vulnerable smile on his lips.

When he again opens his eyes the world about him has shifted, the splendid greenery of the garden faded into the stark grey oppressiveness of the bureaux's infirmary.

"Where are we? Where is neesan?" The boy's fear sends pain coursing through his body and yet still he smiles for the other when he says,

"She is back at the house."

"Take me back to her."

"Can you not stay here with me for a moment?"

"I want neesan!" The boy's anger strikes him with the force of a physical blow and, his face bleeding for the 'strike', he falls to his knees.

The child comes to stand before him and remarks, "I hate you!" before he turns and runs off into the bureaux's corridors.

…………………………………………………………………………….

He watches Hisoka until his breathing evens out and then he steps from the other's side in order to make himself some lunch. When he returns Hisoka has balled into the elder Shinigami's side, the tension evident in his spine as a show that not all is well.

He settles down onto his knees and, schooling his mind into a blank canvas, he reaches out for his connection to the child. He is greeting with the image of flames, the smell of disinfectant and the sight of roses drenched in blood before Hisoka's subconscious pushes him away.

He knows that, if he pressed, he could re-establish the link and gain a clearer picture of what was truly troubling the other. However, he knows that such a thing would not only hurt the other, but also abuse the trust that the boy had placed in him.

He can not simply sit idle and, setting his hand to the boy's shoulder, he focuses his mind onto the thought of his mother.

………………………………………………………………………………

"Are you not going to follow him?" The question is voiced by the girl from his 'dreams', or rather from the woman the girl had become and, laughing at the confusion in his eyes, she says, "Perhaps I should start in a more sensible place. My name is Myagi Luka and I wanted to meet you for the longest of times, Kurosaki Hisoka-kun."

"Then you are not part of this illusion?"

"Correct."

"Then what are you?"

"A restless spirit looking for satisfaction and yet not angry nor driven enough to be re-born as a Shinigami." The explanation eases some of the confusion he had been feeling and, a little surer now of himself, he enquires,

"Asato-san 'sent' you to help me, didn't he?"

"Yes, but I need you to understand that I wished to come, that, I have want to be of aid to."

"I understand, Luka and thank you." She smiles then and offers him a hand up. As their hands touch he is greeted with Luka's emotions, yet they are muted things in his mind, the vaguest of impressions rather than the stronger sensation he had come to expect.

"I am not truly here, Kurosaki-kun and your empathy is reacting to that fact." She pauses and then, laughter clear in her eyes, she says, "You wear your mask well, Kurosaki-kun and yet I fear that you have yet to properly hide the emotions in your eyes." He recognises the veiled compliment all but immediately and, smiling pleasantly, he enquires,

"Might I ask how you know me?"

"Let us discuss that later, shall we? For now we need to find my brother."

He had become so swept into the intrigue that Luka held that he had all but forgotten purpose here. He is filled with a bitter self loathing at this realisation and, slumping slightly into himself he says,

"I do not think I can help him."

"Perhaps not as he is at the moment and yet if we help him recall his life with you, if we rid him of the foolish fantasies of his childhood, I am certain that you will be able to reach him."

"Perhaps it is better that he does not recall his time with me, that he forgets everything other than the life he led with you."

"Kurosaki-kun…" Her hand dips then to smooth the hair from about his face, the gesture recalling to him a time when he had been loved by his mother. "The world has not been kind to you, I know and yet that does not make you any less worthy of ototo's care than myself. I know that part of him is trying to help you in your 'mission', for what other explanation can there be for our presence in a place that belongs to the life he led after he 'lost' me?

"I wish for him to let go the guilt he feels always for my death…wish him to know how happy my life has been…yet those words can only heal him so much. You are the only one who can make him whole again, but before you can do that you need to believe in yourself and in the power that you hold right here." Her fingers move from his hair to rest against his chest and, though her sentiment is a little idealistic, he find that he wants to believe both in the words and she who had delivered them to him.


	7. Truth

7. Truth. 

T: Beware the cliff hanger and the Christmas hiatus that follows this chapter…hopefully I should be back with another chapter next Sunday but, what with the festive season upon us, I make no real promises! Oh also the slash becomes deeper from here on in…though there shall be nothing explicit I fear (quell your disappointment people!) Nothing here is mine apart, in part, for Myagi-san and the plot (such as there is a plot!).

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They eventually find Tsuzuki curled beneath Hisoka's desk, the significance contained within this choice of refuge enough to bolster the younger Shinigami's confidence.

Luka talks to the child alone, the gentle manner in which she treats the other and the manner in which the child responds to this kindness, sending the oddest of aches through Hisoka's heart. Eventually the child comes to stand before him and, fear clear still in his eyes, he says,

"Neesan says that I can trust you, that you are not as the other and that I should apologise for my rude manner."

"I made you a promise and then broke it, had you done the same to me I believe I would have been rude also."

"Neesan thought that you would tell me that."

"Did she?" Talking to Tsuzuki, understanding the other, had always come so naturally to him before and he hates that that has been taken from him, hates that he finds himself constantly scrabbling for words and, most of all, he hates that he is still holding to the belief that, somehow, Tsuzuki would make everything 'all right' again.

Luka had made the task in hand sound deceptively easy and yet, faced with the reality of the situation, he finds his previous confidence flaking away into little more than dust. Desperate for some form of guidance his eyes drift the illusionary world about him and, as they set onto an object amid the paperwork on 'his' desk, hope blossoms again in his heart.

Reaching out towards the object, he wills his mind to forget that the world about him is not real, focuses all of his will into the desire to have the object there within his grasp. Only when the cool smooth texture of glass is beneath his fingers does he let out the breath he had been holding and, feeling now surer of himself he says,

"A week after the fire you voiced your desire to 'get some fresh air' and forced me to sneak out from the infirmary. Neither of us was in any fit state to wonder far and we ended out simply sitting by the lake, talking of idiotic things and watching the sakura blossoms drift on the water's surface. Watari found us after an hour and gave us a long lecture on the limitations of our regenerative powers and the need for sleep. I recall that you watched him with a very stern face but that, inside, you were full of a bright laughter that filled me with such warmth…I was just drifting off to sleep when you hobbled over to my bed and, that warmth present still within your heart, you thanked me and gave me something to recall the day by." He opens out his hands then in order to expose a simple photo frame, pressed between the glass of which, is a delicate skeletal leaf.

The child regards the leafs fragile beauty for a long moment then, an understanding coming to his face, he says,

"That was the first day that I believed that I could keep my promise to you, that I truly believed that I could learn to continue onwards as the man that I had become. I knew that you were the reason that I felt that way, that your stubborn nature had given me a third chance at life and I wished to repay you somehow." With each word the child grows older, his skin stretching and tightening until Hisoka is again looking into his partner's face.

Filled with relief he catches the elder Shinigami into an embrace and, seeking out his 'link' to the 'outside' he enquires,

"Are you ready to come back, Tsuzuki?" The other's confusion crashes over him like a tidal wave, yet despite this bewilderment the other graces him with a smile and responds,

"Of course."

…………………………………………………………………………………

He wakes to the gentle scent of Hisoka's skin and, upon opening his eyes, to the sight of the other curled tight into his chest. He can not quite resist the temptation to run his hands through the other's hair, the movement enough, despite his caution, to wake the other from his slumber.

"Tsuzuki?" The doubt evident in the other's voice is unsettling and, smiling brightly, he replies,

"It's me, Hisoka."

"Then you have forgotten." The statement confuses him greatly and he is just about to press the other for more information when a voice from his past remarks,

"It is best that you give his memory a moment, Kurosaki-san."

His sister is sat at the edge of the bed, her face older than he recalls it and filled with a content that brings a glow to her features and makes her, somehow, even more beautiful to his eyes.

"Neesan…" Looking at his sister's face recalls to him the face of the man who had looked so much as himself, the panic that that face had sparked in his heart, the odd dream that had followed that panic and, finally, the relief he had felt as the dream had reached its conclusion.

"Perhaps I should give you two a moment." But a moment after the utterance of these hard words Hisoka's warmth is gone from his side, the ache this absence places in his heart eased as his sister embraces him.

"What is happening, neesan?"

"What do you recall of the day that we fought?"

…………………………………………………………………………………

"Asato-san?" The boy looks worn, the wobble in his step as well as the dark circles about his eyes, both clear signs of how much of a toll his task has taken out on his body.

"Have you been successful?"

"Thanks to your help."

"I am glad that sending her to you was the right choice. I had a want to help you directly but I could not do as such without abusing the trust you had placed in me." Feeling oddly uncomfortable under the boy's quiet scrutiny he enquires, "Is kasan talking to him?"

"Ah."

"Once she has imparted her story to him she shall have nothing to tether her to this world."

"I am certain that she shall linger long enough to bid you farewell, Asato-san."

"Thank you."

There is a long moment of silence and then the boy says,

"I encountered no sign of a trap within Tsuzuki's heart."

"Then perhaps we were simply being paranoid."

"Or perhaps Muraki did not care if I saved Tsuzuki."

"I do not understand."

"What if he did this to learn all that he could of Tsuzuki's powers?"

"You really are far too smart for your own good, bouya."

"You should not be able to breach the wards on this house." He remarks, his voice calm despite the distress running rampant through his heart.

"I am sure that would be true enough were you at your strongest, Myagi-san and yet that is not the case, is it?" A sudden, terrible, realisation, comes to him and, already aware of what the other's answer shall be, he enquires,

"You knew that I would send for kasan's spirit?"

"Correct."

"Yet why come here, why risk exposing yourself when you have achieved all that you set out to achieve?"

"Not quite everything."

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T: I apologise for leaving it in such an evil place and for Muraki…he wanted more lime light than the meagre amount I gave him and kept stomping about in my head until I was forced to put him back in the story! As stated previously I'll try to update next Sunday, should things be as hectic as I fear then that'll be pushed back to Monday at the latest. Hopefully this shall be the one and only hiatus (touch wood). Please review.


	8. Clarity

8. Clarity.

T: Thankfully I've managed to rustle up time enough to post today rather than tomorrow! (Go me!) Another cliff hanger ending (forgive me!) but apart from this warnings remain the same. I do not own the boys though I desperately wished that I did!

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"What do you recall of the night we fought?"

"Can we not talk of something else?" He enquires as he turns his head a little from her. Summoning her courage she settles onto the bed and, tilting his head back towards her, she says,

"It is important that I know, ototo."

"You tried to stop the fight, tried to reason me into taking a breather…I was so angry, however, and I didn't want to be reasoned with...you kept trying to calm me and I kept retaliating with my anger…then…then I struck you…" He pails then and, for a moment, she believes that he shall say no more, then, his hands fisting into the edges of the duvet, he says, "I tried so desperately to make everything okay, to use the demon blood within me to some advantage and when that did not work I ran from the house…I wanted to be free of the memories tied into that place, wanted to forget everything other than the terrible crime that I had committed.

"Eventually I ended up in the 'care' of Shouhei-sensei where I existed in misery until I was eventually successful in killing myself and applied for a position as a Shinigami in penance for what I had done."

This is more than she had asked for, more than she knows he had thought to tell her, this additional information something that is due more to grief than anything else.

"You listen to my reasoning that night, ototo, allowed us both a chance to gather our heads…"

"Yet if that is the case…"

"You did not kill me, ototo."

"Yet it seemed so very real."

"As did your other 'visions'."

"Sometimes when I was lying in the clinic I'd hear your voice telling me that you were not dead, that everything would be alright…I thought that it was the madness and yet…" He trails and his eyes fill with such misery that she feels all but compelled to hug him.

He cries once he is nestled against her shoulder, his tears hot, wild, things that seem almost never ending. She allows him this childishness, comforting him as best she can with the simple fact of her presence and with softly whispered words of love, kindness and empty nothings.

Eventually the tears cease and, his face again schooled into an adult calm, he pulls a little from her.

"After I left, neesan, what happened?"

"I chased you for house that night and, when I could not catch you, I returned home and tried to search you out in another manner. For years I searched without any true direction, wishing only to find you and to make you see how wrong you had been, then I met Senichi and my search was given direction and purpose beyond the need to see you again.

"Eventually Senichi and I fell in love and the joy of our marriage, of the birth of our son, eased a little of my grief. I could never quite let you go, however, something that my husband could not comprehend of the longest of times and that he eventually recognises as part of who I was…part of my own, personal, madness. He helped me once he came to that realisation, taught me large chunks of his own knowledge so that, should I ever find you, I could help you through the insanity…could give you a 'better life'."

"I do not deserve such a thing."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I have killed people."

"I did not think that the Shinigami actually killed, but rather that they aided in the release of an already departed spirit." He clearly has want to ask her how she has gained such exclusive knowledge, this desire, for the moment at least, over ridden by the guilt he feels still for his profession and thus he enquires,

"Do you believe there is a difference between the two?"

"Yes and yet if you do not then perhaps it is time to let the job go, time that you join me in the next life."

"I can not do that."

"Is that because you have a reason to stay here, one beyond the need to cleanse yourself of your guilt?"

"Yes." He is smiling now, the thing fragile and yet so pure that she thinks it the most handsome thing she has ever seen. "Will you introduce me to your son?"

"Of course."

…………………………………………………………………………..

He wakes to the intense burning sensation of the curse and to the sinking realisation that he has, again, played directly into Muraki's hands.

"Welcome back, bouya."

"Where is Asato-san?" He feels the others amusement for the semi intimate form of address and, a moment later, the man himself is before him, a genial smile fixed onto his lips.

"I would be more concerned for your own welfare."

"You can not hurt me." The other's smile deepens and he strikes him hard about the cheek. The blow is enough that his mouth fills with the taste of his blood and when, after a moment, this flavour does not recede, he enquires,

"What have you done?"

"After the intriguing display that I witnessed in the fire it became clear to me that it was very possible for one of the Shinigami to die, a probability that I research thoroughly while I was recovering from the 'aftermath' of that incident."

"You have learned how to injure or indeed kill one of my kind?"

"Correct."

His skin crawls for the knowledge that Muraki has yet another advantage over him, though whether this is for fear or anger he can not quite be certain.

"Now that you understand your position, bouya, I believe we should continue with proceedings." He moves, a moment, from Hisoka's life of sight, his amusement twisting itself about Hisoka's heart and tainting him with its poison.

He returns with Asato-san, the arm looped, casually about the other's neck as the only visual sign of restraint.

"So you see, Myagi-san, he is very much alive."

"Did he hurt you, Kurosaki-san?" By the strength of the other's concern it is clear that he knows also of Muraki's new power and, gesturing to his cheek, he replies,

"I'll live…figuratively speaking, of course."

"What do you want from us, Muraki?" Asato-san enquires,

"There is an individual that I wish you to resurrect for me, Myagi-san."

"I have neither the power of the want to perform such a task."

"I thought that might be your response." Muraki strikes Hisoka again, this blow softer than the last yet still enough to redden the other's skin.

"For each refusal the boy shall suffer."

"I tell you honestly that I can not do what you ask for me and that you may punish me for that fact…"

"You are about to make a bargain, your life for his, a gallant yet pointless sacrifice. The child is leverage and thus I shall not lease him." The dark malice that hangs about the other deepens and, leaning towards Asato-san, he says, "As to the other matter…deep within you lies an untapped power, one that I am assured will be more than suitable for the job."

"How can you know of this strength when I do not, when you have met me only once before this day?"

"He learned of it by following me into Tsuzuki's heart." Muraki turns to regard him a moment, almost as one regarding a rat or unwanted pest and then he says,

"I had intended to convince Tsuzuki-san that I was part of his life and to twist his reality to suit my purpose. However, the attachment he had to the illusion within his heart was strong enough that I could not break him away from it and it seemed that I would have to again 'step away from the fight' when Tsuzuki-san said…

"_If you hurt me then tousan will hurt you in return." The threat, childish though it is, clearly holds weight with the boy and, curious, he enquires,_

"_Will you tell me of your tousan, of the power he holds and of how I might find him?"_

"_No."_

"_If you tell me what I want then I shall step away from your life forever." The child looks uncertain a moment and then he says,_

"_I thought that he was dead but then I overheard neesan talking to Kana-san, that's our next door neighbour, about him…she was saying that tousan was protecting us and that he'd made sure that no one would ever hurt me…"_

"_Is this all you know?" Again a moment of hesitation and then the child says,_

"_I can take you to where he used to live."_

"So you learned of my grandfather, of his Onmyjitsu, I do not understand how that knowledge has led you to believe me 'gifted'."

"Then allow me to enlighten you."

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T: There is only one, maybe two, more chapter/s to go and then we're done! Next one late Tuesday!


	9. Farewell

9. Farewell.

T: One more to go and yes this one does, yet again, finish on a cliff hanger…am attempting to curb the habit I promise! Warnings remain the same; though Tsuzuki could be construed as OOC later on…it's not mine, something that I don't really wish to be reminded of!!

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His sister hesitates upon the threshold of the bedroom and, unable to quell his curiosity, he gently eases himself past her.

The room beyond is empty, only the faint lingering trace of Hisoka's scent as sign that anyone had recently occupied the space.

"It seems that they've gone out for a while."

"I'm afraid that they've been taken ototo."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because there is magic in the air, dark, powerful magic." There is only one logical conclusion to be drawn from this assessment and, the dark fire of his anger burning hot in his stomach, he says,

"This is Muraki's doing."

"You believe this is for your sake."

"How can I not?" She sets a hand to his shoulder and, her expression suddenly serious, she says,

"He has done this for Asato, for the raw power that exists within him."

"Then why take Hisoka?"

"My son would rather die than submit himself to one such as Muraki and it is more than likely that Kurosaki-kun has been taken as leverage." He has no want to ask the question that springs instantly to mine, nor to contemplate how he would deal with how his sister might respond to this enquiry, thus he asks instead,

"How is it that you know of Muraki, of what he has done to me and of what a Shinigami does?" She hesitates a moment in her reply, this most likely because she understands the question for what it truly is, then, a smile blooming onto her face, she says,

"I have promised that story to Kurosaki-kun, ototo, though you are welcome to listen as I give it to him."

"What if I can not find him, neesan, or if I reach him after it has become too late? I could not cope with loosing him, not when…" He catches himself before he can say too much and, the heat of a blush strong upon his cheeks, he says, "Forgive me, neesan."

"Have you no idea of where he might run to?"

"No, but I do know where I can find one who might hold such information."

………………………………………………………………………………..

Miuba Oriya had learned, at a very young age, that keeping the company of one such as Muraki Kazutaka held an interesting array of drawbacks. One such 'drawback' was currently pounding on the doorway of the 'restaurant' and making his customers 'uncomfortable'.

His business is recovering still from the slump that the fire had caused and, though he has no real wish to again involve himself in Muraki's affairs, he has little choice other than to respond to this 'drawback'.

This is the first that he has met the object of Muraki's unremitting lust and, though it irks him to admit as such, he finds himself fascinated. It is an intoxication that the other permits for only the briefest of moments then, his unique eyes tinged a deep azure for the anger within them, he enquires,

"Where the hell is he?" He thinks to deny all knowledge of who the other is talking, an idea that is quickly erased by the displeasure clear in the other's expression.

"He's somewhere in the city, I can't tell you precisely where but its close."

"Did you save him that night?" The question is unexpected, yet not all that surprising and he responds to it by both with a bitter smile and by informing the other,

"No, nor could I inform you of who was responsible for that 'salvation'…the last that I saw Muraki he promised that he would not bother me again and he has kept that pledge well enough that I only know of his presence here because of my 'position' as manager of this establishment." There is pity now in the other's eyes, that emotion softening his features and snuffing the threatening edge that had surrounding him.

"You would do well to forget him, miyuba –san, for there is nothing left within him that is worth your care."

"That is true enough, Tsuzuki-san and yet still I can not quite seem to let him go." The other leaves him but a little after that, the pity in his eyes, as well as the terrible emptiness of the truth that emotion had plied from him, lingering in his memory well into the night.

…………………………………………………………………………………….

"Then my grandfather transferred his gift to my uncle?"

"That is correct."

"And the nature of the spell meant that that magic strengthened with this transference?"

"Correct."

"And somehow a little of that gift was passed to me when I was born, this transference further strengthened the magic and making it even more potent than that which my uncle claims. Yet if such a gift exists within me then why is it that I have aged as any other and that I have, many times, come close to death?"

"Your gift remains dormant within you, Myagi-san, for it has passed to you merely by co-incidence than design. Indeed the unnatural hue of your eyes is as the only detectable sign that this gift exists within you."

"That being the case the magic shall be wild and thus I shall not be able to use it."

"Thankfully I have a solution to that issue, though it is a solution that, rather unfortunately, requires your co-operation."

"If I agree, if I co-operate, what shall become of us afterwards?"

"I shall leave both yourself and the boy unharmed." He is aware that the other shall not keep this pledge, that once he has plundered him of this 'hidden' well of power he shall kill both Kurosaki-san and himself. He is about to make this knowledge evident to the other when he senses the familiar feel of a tracing spell seeping into the building.

Given such clear hope of rescue he releases a little of the hold he has on his emotions, this enough to allow the boy to know the 'development', then he enquires,

"How can I be assured that you shall keep this promise? You have not, after all, proved yourself the worthiest of men."

"Bouya?"

"He is sincere in his word, Myagi-san." He can se the doubt in Hisoka's eyes and knows that, if not for their previous 'communication', the boy would not have made this statement.

"Then I shall consent to your will, Muraki-san."

"Follow me." The other pulls him towards the doorway in which they had both entered, his grip softer now in its ferocity and yet strong enough to assure him that, should he attempt escape, the other shall break the limb.

They have just reached the threshold of the room when the door shatters into a thousand pieces.

The next he is aware Muraki's grip has been leased from his arm and the other has been pinned to the floor by the imposing form of his uncle.

"I have allowed you to harm one that I care for the final time, Muraki." The man remarks before he strikes Muraki about the head.

"I should strike you again and be done with you forever, but I am not a killer and your life has value still to one person." The man remarks before he stands free of the other.

"That was a foolish risk to take, Asato-san, if Tsuzuki had been but a moment longer…"

"All that mattered was that you were saved, Kurosaki-kun." The boy flinches away from those words and he takes the opportunity to draw close to the other's side. "Having you within my life has been a…unique…experience, Kurosaki-san, one that must now come to a close and to that end I release you from our 'bond'." He pulls the boy to him, savouring the softness of his skin and the unique edge of his scent then, with a whispered, "goodbye" he captures the other's lips into a kiss.

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T: Fairly sure that in the anime Tsuzuki never meets Oriya, please tell me if I'm wrong! Skittering away before anyone yells at me for the cliff hanger! Last chapter up Sunday.


	10. New beginings

10. New beginnings. 

T: Last chapter and, to carry on the tradition, it ends on a bit of a cliff hanger…many apologies for that fact! As ff. net is being annoying at the mo and not telling me when people review I wanted to thank laustic for being an amazing reviewer, for praising me every chapter and for being honest as well as nice! Warnings remain the same and I still do not own the boy's (Myagi-san is sort of mine, I suppose!)

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His first thought had been to berate Asato-san for taking such a liberty, the sadness that had lingered in the kiss, as well as the terrible sense of finality that it had held, curtailing such reproach and the other's suggestion of, "Let us leave this place," as well as his swift retreat to the exit, preventing him from responding to the touch in another manner. He'd been slow in following the other, after that, uncertainty staunching his pace and musing his thoughts enough that it'd been a good hour before he'd thought to come to Tsuzuki's side and say,

"Thank you for coming to find me, Tsuzuki." The other had smiled one of the empty smiles Hisoka had never thought to see again and told him, "It was nothing," in the guarded manner the younger Shinigami had believed burned away in the fire.

"Something is wrong."

"Do not be silly." The terrible silence that would dog the rest of the journey filtered in not long after that, he having no wish to make matters worse between Tsuzuki and himself and his companions lost in there own thoughts and feelings.

Luka was waiting for them at the threshold of Asato-san house and, all but the moment her son crosses into her line of sight; she has taken the other into her arms. Tucked in his mother's embrace the man holds a short, whispered, conversation with the woman and then retires to his bedroom.

The silence holds but a moment after this and then Luka enquires,

"Do you still have want to hear the explanation that I have promised to you, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Yes."

"I learned of the Shinigami from one of my husband's text book, the brief detail of the legends surrounding the individuals placing in my heart a desire to learn all that there was to learn of them. In the pursuit of this knowledge I gained a deep fascination into the spiritual world and, wishing to encourage this passion, my husband allowed me to accompany him occasionally upon his assignments. It was a kindness that I was grateful and that would lead me into the presence of Muraki Kazutaka." She pauses a moment and then says, "Four years ago my husband received a request from the administrator of the hospital in the Kanagawa region. A sweating sickness had begun to run rife through the wards, the illness striking swiftly enough that they had begun to believe it spiritual in origin. They wished the cause for the illness to be investigated and, if at all possible, removed an assignment that would require knowledge and patience beyond that which my son had mastered at the time and so, despite his age and the toll those years had placed onto his body, my husband agreed to undertake the task.

"The administrator spread the tale that one of the hospitals patrons had come to lend moral support in this time of great crisis, the cover story created in order that my husband might walk the hospital without suspicion and also in order that he could ask questions that might, otherwise, have caused suspicion. I accompanied my husband in order to gather information that his regimented approach might over look and also to offer him moral support. It was a task that meant that I was, more often than not, sat in one of the many hospital corridors waiting for a progress report from my husband and keeping my ears open for any gossip that might be relevant to the investigation.

"Upon one such occasion a doctor happened to note my presence and, smiling pleasantly, he enquired, 'Might you not be better off spending your time elsewhere?' There was something in his general manner that put me on edge and yet, having no want to expose that fact to him, I responded, 'There is no better place for me to be than here,' the confidence in my manner enough that he left me alone after that.

"I asked after the doctor after that and learned, swiftly, that he was in Kanagawa simply for the sake of one patient a fact that strengthened my suspicions enough that, when next I saw my husband, I mentioned the other to him. Senichi agreed that there was reasonable cause to suspect the other and left me to conduct his own enquires. But a moment after he had left my side I decided, despite the risk contained in such an action, to visit the doctor's soul patient.

"The patient's room had an unused feel, something that distressed me greatly when I saw how young and how very ill he was. I recall that I felt…itchy…as I looked at his frail form and that he flinched a moment _before_ my hands settled onto his forehead. I had time enough to register that he was feverishly hot and then he began to scream, his voice bringing the doctor, as well as my husband, to the threshold of the room.

"For a brief moment I saw the doctor as he truly was and then he was again smiling at me with that gentle, insincere, smile, 'It is best that you stay away from this child, Natori-san, for I have yet to determine the source of his illness and it may yet prove to be contagious,' he informed me after a moment. I apologised, insincerely, and explained my presence with a lie that, though not convincing enough to elevate his doubt, softened the threat that had, until that moment, been present in his eyes.

"My husband chastised me for doing as I had once we were in the safety of our hotel room and then he told me, 'that doctor is even more dangerous than we had believed, Luka, for he has placed into that poor boy the most terrible of curses, one that is at the rout of the child's suffering and that shall be as his undoing.'

'Is there nothing we can do to help that child?' My husband gave no reply to that enquiry and, though I hoped still to be of aid to the child, my heart sunk.

"The administrator called my husband in the early hours of the next day to inform him that his services were no longer required and to inform him that he had booked us tickets on the first train back to Tokyo. Once we were on the train my husband told me that the man had sounded afraid, the fear in his eyes enough I had not pushed for further explanation.

"An article within my morning paper the day after had cleared away the confusion surrounded my husbands swift dismissal, the piece detailing the odd circumstances surrounding the illness and the discovery of a cure by a visiting doctor. There was a small interview with the man, the insincerity of his words leaving me no doubt as to his identity or to the identity of the one patient for whom the cure had come too late.

"As I read his words of sympathy for the child's parents and their responding gratitude for the man's efforts I felt bile rising in my stomach and I knew that I would do anything to bring the doctor to justice." He knows now, beyond doubt, that he is talking about his own death and he has want to berate her for undertaking such a crusade for one such as he. She silences the words with the smallest gesture of her hands and, her smile tightening, she says, "Though he had no want to encourage such foolishness my husband kept his ears open always for news of the doctors movements and thus when rumour began to circulate of a chain of murders in Nagasaki he was assured that, somehow, the other was at their heart. He did not tell me that he had drawn such a conclusion, or indeed that Nagasaki had become a dangerous place to visit, all that I knew was that he planed to see the sights of the town and that he had want to do as such on his own. When, but two day's later, the police rung to inform me that he had been murdered, this silence meant that my first thought was that he had been killed by someone attempting to mug him, rather than of the doctor.

"By the time I learned of the little he had kept of me and realised who his murderer was likely to be, grief had worn at my heart and set in my body the illness that would, eventually, kill me. From my sickbed I learned what I could of my husband's last movements and, on the day that I drew my final breath I learned that, at long last, my little brother had been sighted."

"Yet that still does not explain how you knew of the ill that Muraki had done me."

"That particular 'knowledge' was little more than guesswork, ototo." There is a moment of silence and then, her smile stretching out again into something truthful, she says, "I've got to say goodbye now."

"You can not leave me again, neesan."

"You'll be alright, ototo, Kurosaki-kun will make sure of that."

"Thank you for trying to help, Luka, for caring about me when no one else did." Her face lights into a truly beautiful smile and then she is gone.

Tsuzuki is clearly holding back his tears and, without thought, he crosses the distance between them and pulls the elder Shinigami into a hug. The touch allows him the barest of glimpses of the other's emotions and, pressing closer, he remarks,

"Something _is_ wrong." The other tenses and, stepping free the embrace, he says,

"You do not have to 'look after' me, Hisoka, nor do you have to come back to the bureaux. If I tell the other's that Muraki has hidden you somewhere, that I could not find you no matter how hard I looked, the other's should pursue you for only the shortest of times."

"Why are you saying this, do you not wish to have me at your side?"

"I want that more than anything else in the world, however…however, Luka's son can give you so much more than I, can give you a life full of happiness and a heart free of shadow."

"Tsuzuki…no, Asato…you truly are the greatest of idiots!" He again closes the distance between them and, placing his hands against the other's face he enquires, "Why would I want to be anywhere else but here in the arms of the man that I love?" before he pulls him in for a kiss.

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T: Da dah! I'm sure you'll forgive me this particular cliff hanger! I love the idea that Luka was a part of Hisoka's life and that they had a connection other than Tsuzuki, I'm also partial to the notion that Hisoka's dreams were actually memories from that brief contact with Luka rather than something of Muraki's construction. Thank you very much for reading and please, please, review


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